5 Things to Know About Choosing a Pool Pump for a 20,000-Gallon Pool

A 1.5 HP variable speed pump is the sweet spot It provides enough flow for a cleaner or solar heater, but you can dial it down for daily filtering to save on electricity.

Avoid going too small with a 1 HP pump It may struggle to push water through long pipe runs or high-head setups like a heater or spa jets.

Avoid going too big with a 2 HP or larger pump You overspend on the pump and may need to upsize pipes to avoid cavitation. Oversized pumps waste energy unless kept on low, which defeats the purpose.

Match the pump to your plumbing diameter 1.5” pipes work fine with a 1.5 HP pump. With 2” pipes, you could handle a 2 HP, but 1.5 HP is still plenty.

Always choose a variable speed pump Single-speed pumps are energy hogs, and many states are phasing them out. A variable speed pump lowers your electric bill.